Phil Jagielka clattered out with horror injury in feisty clash with relegation battlers but Goodison Park thrills to Kevin Mirallas and Steven Pienaar

Have a word! Nikica Jelavic of Everton has words with Adam Le Fondre of Reading who clattered Phil Jagielka (Photo: Clive Mason)

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Emotion dictated that the immediate ­post-match focus from David Moyes was on the players he had lost to some gruesome ‘assaults’ in recent games.

Yet when he makes a more considered reflection on this 3-1 victory over Reading at Goodison Park, the Everton boss will no doubt settle on the players he finally seems to have back, after being posted on the missing list for much of the past month.

Moyes was ­understandably agitated about a physical approach from the Royals that saw Phil Jagielka limp off with a gash to his ankle so bad it sliced right through to the bone, and requires surgery to correct.

His replacement John Heitinga was also laid out and, with Tim Howard floored in the previous match, the Scot was not exactly in a joyous mood.

Ankle gashed: Everton's Phil Jagielka (Photo: Getty)

Yet even without Jagielka and Howard, Everton will undoubtedly be a different prospect than the side that struggled to record a win through most of February.

And it’s largely down to the spectacular return to form of their two key creative players – Kevin Mirallas and Steven Pienaar.

Mirallas was a sensation, his ­movement and audacious skills a joy to watch.

The Belgian’s goal to make it 3-0 – after Marouane Fellaini and Pienaar had both netted – was a case in point, as he threw an ­outrageous dummy to give the visiting keeper the eyes and slid in deliciously at the near post.

His ball, too, for ­Pienaar’s goal – a sublime strike from distance – showed he was well and truly back.

“Mirallas was a very different player than the one who’d been operating in recent weeks. He needed to get his fitness back, because he was out for a long time with the injury,” said Moyes.

“He looked like he can score and create goals, and he didn’t look like that previously – and it gives players a real lift if they think he can finish it off for them.

“We’ve needed someone to get on the end of things. I thought Nikica Jelavic played well, but things aren’t going his way right now, so to have Kevin providing that threat is really important.

“It was the sort of form he showed early in the season when he frightened teams. If he can continue that, then it will give us the edge we need for the run-in.”